St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-04
That is the Way Nine. Fursch-MaG
Characterizes the Management
Of Two Enterprises
Known to the American World as the
National Opera Company and the
School Of Opera. -,ss1s
The Great Songstress After Her Overdue
Salary With Very Large
Legal Club.
Prospects That Both Organizations VIII
Go to Smash Despite Their Social
Backing and Prestige.
Special to the Globe.

SpeclaI 10 the Globe.
New YORK, June S.-Mme. Fursch-
Madi and Mrs. Thurber have had bad
railing out. The trouble, which, it ap-
pears, has been brewing for some time
past, has now reached climax, and
war has been formally declared. The
feelings mutually engendered are said
TO be so bitter that there is no chance
or even hollow truce being patched up.
In word, the quarrel is irreconcilable.
Such din and discord of strife has not
crashed upon the musical world in many
a day. The breach between Nine.
Fursch- -Madi and Mrs. Thurber has
arisen In connection with the affairs of
the American school of opera, of which
Nine. Fursch-Madi is the accomplished
dlrectress and Mrs. Thurber the eminent
patroneSS. Nine. Fursch-Madi has be-
gun suit against the officers and direc-
tors of the school to recover $4,000.
which she claims is
DUE HER FOR SALARY,
and the payment of which, she alleges,
was personally guaranteed her by Mrs.
Thurber. Nine. Fursch-Madi was. it
seems, an 1nStructreSs of the American
school of opera when it was first opened
two years ago. She was under contract
for one year at salary of $4,000 year,
alleged to have been personally guaran-
teed by Mrs Thurber, through whose
influence she obtained the position.
The contract was renewed last June,
and since that time Nine. Fursch-MadT
has been in control of the school. The
school year. ended on May 2S last, and
Mime. Fursch-Madi having, as she de-
clareS. received no part of her salary for
the year, and having had fer some time
no relations with any of the directors or
officers of the school, placed the case in
the hands of Howe d Hummel. The
latter lost no time in entering upon the
preliminary legal skirmish. They on
Tuesday made formal demand upon
Frank Lawrence, the attorney for the
corporation, for the payment of Nine.
Fursch-Madfs salary in full. No satis-
factory reply being sent to this ulti-
matum,. papers i'll a suit for the recov-
cry OF the money alleged to be due were
drawn up, and war was. formally de-
clared by the service of the papers to-
day. Nine. Fursch-Madis connection
with the American school of opera, it
need hardly be said, is now at an end,
and the announcement OF this fact is
likely to cause
QUITE A LIVELY SENSATION
in musical circles. That Mrs. Thurber
has been anticipating what has come to
pass is indicated by the announcement
made by her few days ago that Mr..
BOuhy, the French baritone who has
been assistant male instructor and
teacher of dramatic art in the school for
the past two years, would be its director
during the coming year. In spite of
this announcement, however, there is
ground for fear that the much exploited
American school of opera will very
shortly fall to pieces; The facts al
ready developed show that it is in a yery
sorry financial plight, and that it is en-
tirely devoid of funds to carry on the
enterprise much further. 1t is said that
most of the other teachers in the school
have failed to receive their salaries reg
ularly, and that many of them now find
themselves left several months in ar
rearS. There are various indications
that, although Mrs. Thurber has. issued
circular containing prospectus of the
school for the coming year, the present
season will witness the collapse of
the entire enterprise, including
both the school and the opera
the statements of those who
are in a position to know the facts. is
hopelessly involved in debt. The presi-
dent of the board of directors of the
School of Opera, which Mme Fursch-
Madi is now suing, is Parke Goodwin.
the proprietor of the Commercial-Ad-
S.eioSA VI ehio SltS VIII 10 uIIu6TSIOOQ
to have
SUNK A LARGE AMOUNT
of money in the enterprise. Mrs. Thur
Der is the honorary secretary. and
among the other directors are Washing
ton Z. Connor, the business partner Of
Jay Gould; Henry g. Marguand. the
banker; Andrew Carnegie. the Pitts
burg iron millionaire; Mrs August Bel
mont, and a large number of other
social and financial magnates in those
and other cities. The first causes of the
estrangement between Nine. Furscb-
Madi and Mrs. Thurber are said to date
back to the time of the songstress'
trouble with the National Opera com
pany, some months ago. To YOUR cor
respondent Nine. FurSch-Madi declared
she had nothing to say just now with
regard to the present trouble further
than that both the National Opera COM
pany and the School of Opera had been
managed and maintained in way that
was simply scandalous. The concerns
were being run by certain people for
their own ends. These assertions. She
declared, would shortly be brought to
the public knowledge, accompanied by
proofs of quite startling character.